Civil rights leader Charles Evers died of natural causes Wednesday in Brandon, Mississippi. He was 97.
The older brother of Medgar Evers, Charles Evers made history in 1969, when he was elected mayor of Fayette, Mississippi, becoming the first Black mayor in the state since Reconstruction. After his brother's assassination in 1963, Evers took over for him as state field secretary for the Mississippi NAACP.
Born on Sept. 11, 1922, in Decatur, Mississippi, Evers served in the Army during World War II, and throughout his life hosted radio shows. He also spent time as a concert promoter for B.B. King and was involved in the bootleg liquor business. In the 1960s and '70s, Evers ran unsuccessfully for several political offices, including governor of Mississippi.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Eel-egal trade: the world’s most lucrative wildlife crime?Under the Radar Trafficking of juvenile ‘glass’ eels from Europe to Asia generates up to €3bn a year but the species is on the brink of extinction
-
Political cartoons for November 2Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include the 22nd amendment, homeless camps, and more
-
The dazzling coral gardens of Raja AmpatThe Week Recommends Region of Indonesia is home to perhaps the planet’s most photogenic archipelago.
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
